UNDIP, East Nusa Tenggara (24/8) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) has demonstrated its concern and commitment to communities affected by disasters in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) by delivering humanitarian assistance to residents in need. The Diponegoro Disaster Assistance Response Team (D-DART) was deployed to Kupang on Friday, August 21, 2026. The team consists of faculty members and students: Ns. Nur Hafizhah Widyaningtyas, S.Kep., M.Kep.; Ahmad Aqil Widyantoro, S.E.; Mohammad Pandu Pradana, S.Si.; and Fadhil Raihan Akbar, S.Kep. The team’s mission is not only to distribute donations collected from the UNDIP academic community but also to serve as a Surveillance Team to assess the needs for medical and logistical teams that will subsequently be deployed.
On the day they arrived, the D-DART Team immediately coordinated with HIPGABI NTT and the NTT Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). Given the conditions in the affected areas, which were still experiencing local tremors, volunteers were required to adhere to the principle of “Personal Safety, Environmental Safety.” Coordination with relevant stakeholders was a key step in determining the disaster response management strategy. In addition, the D-DART Team assessed the need for specialist doctors who will be deployed as part of a Medical Team in the coming days. Ns. Nur Hafizhah Widyaningtyas, S.Kep., M.Kep., Chair of D-DART and Team Leader of the first deployment group, said that coordination with Ns. Sherly Sani Mahoklory, S.Kep., M.Kep., of HIPGABI NTT, and Mellyani Daik of the NTT Provincial BPBD was an important step in preparing the next team.
“UNDIP is present alongside the community as a tangible expression of our concern and our commitment to fulfilling the Tridharma of Higher Education. We sincerely hope that this assistance will be beneficial and help ease the burden of our brothers and sisters in NTT. May God Almighty always be with us all, and may UNDIP help accelerate the recovery process in the NTT region,” said Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., Rector of Universitas Diponegoro.
D-DART is the Disaster Management Center of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), operating under the Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Public Communication. Through this Disaster Response Team, UNDIP has assisted in responding to various disasters, including the Lombok earthquake, the Palu liquefaction disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Semarang-Demak floods, the Cirebon natural disaster, and others.
Through the spirit of ‘Noble and Valuable’, UNDIP remains committed to contributing to and standing alongside communities, including in disaster response efforts. Recover, Motherland! (Public Communication/UNDIP/D-DART Team, AS)